We live in a fast-paced world, where we often don’t get time to take care of our health. We know health is wealth, but we tend to ignore it amidst our deadlines, and parties. As a result, it affects our physical and mental health.
However, taking out just 20 minutes from your busy schedules for your health can improve the quality of life.
Yes, we are talking about yoga. Yoga uses breathing techniques, meditation and exercise to provide physical strength and mental wellness. Whether it is the mild back pain or a headache, you can ease it down with essential yoga poses.
Do you know with the right exercise and essential yoga poses, it is possible to beat down the depression as well. Let’s quickly understand the mechanism before discussing what exactly yoga poses for depression can you make use of.
What is Depression?
Depression is your reaction to a loss, rejection or something sad. These events affect the release of brain chemicals that help in coping up with emotional changes. This often results in a reduction in the size of the hippocampus- the brain’s part required for memory and learning process. When the size of hippocampus decreased, it fails to process cognitive abilities, therefore, leading to depression.
The essential yoga poses can help the release of the required brain chemicals that can help ease the symptoms of depression.
How is yoga helpful for depression?
Yoga increases heart rate variability. Heart rate variability is the heart’s response between each heartbeat. An increased heartbeat means your body is better able to respond to stress and adapts quickly to the circumstances that otherwise might lead to anxiety. Increasing the heart rate variability is also the facilitator of better breathing, blood pressure and pain tolerance. Additionally, it helps improves the blood flow to the brain, nourishing the brain cells to release calming and mood alleviating brain chemicals, adding to the effectiveness of yoga poses for depression.
Yoga has many poses, each encompassing a different technique for the betterment of the health. What is good for digestion might not be perfect for depression. Therefore, you should only be doing the essential yoga poses for depression. If you are facing any difficulties doing the poses below, contact your physician to check if you have any back issues.
6 Essential Yoga Poses for Depression
- Balasana (Child’s Pose)
Balasan is the most comfortable yet essential yoga pose for depression. It gently stretches your hips and lower back region to let peace prevail in your body.
Simply kneel on your heels, keeping the big toes in touch. Then, put your hands on your knees and spread them to a hip-width. Now, bend your trunk forward towards your thighs, with your face touching the ground. Lastly, bring your arms forward with your palms facing the ground. Stay in this position for two minutes at least and repeat the cycle.
- Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
The second essential yoga pose for depression is Corpse. The Corpse, as the name suggests, is much focussed on mimicking a dead body. It explores mindfulness, leading to calm and internal bliss.
To perform a corpse, lie flat on your back, keeping both your arms at a distance from your body. Close your eyes and draw your attention towards every part of your body, starting from the toe. Keep your breathing slow and gradually move your focus up towards the head.
Also Read: 10 Best Yoga Poses to get rid of Migraine
- Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose)
This essential yoga pose is specifically designed to alleviate mood and manage anxiety. It promotes better blood circulation in the brain, allowing mental clarity.
To get in the shape, lie flat on your stomach with your toes facing the ground. Bring your palms near the shoulders and begin elevating the upper part of your body. To reap the benefits, use your body weight to lift you. Take deep breaths while keeping your body in this position for a couple of minutes.
Tip: You can do precisely the opposite of an upward yoga pose. It will be termed as downward-facing yoga pose for depression.
- Hala Asana (Plow Pose)
Plow yoga poses for depression is designed to help overcome the episodes of insomnia.
Begin with lying flat on the ground. Then, use your abdominal muscles to lift your legs. Now, move your trunk at 90 degrees from the floor. Placing your hand on hips, use them to lift the hips to the chest. Finally, take your legs over your head to the point when toes start touching the ground.
Remove your hands from your hips and place them on the ground. Stay in this position for a minute and remember to repeat for 20 minutes!
- Viparita Karani (Leg up the wall pose)
The next essential yoga pose on our list is Leg Up! Leg up helps improve the blood circulation to the brain, which nourishes the cells warding off fatigue.
Leg Up Yoga pose for depression is quick to perform. Simply lie on your back, near a wall. Lift your legs and rest them against the wall. Remain in this position for three minutes to allow sufficient blood flow to the brain and the rest of the body.
- Chakrasana (Upward Facing Bow Pose)
We’ll wrap up the list of essential yoga poses with Upward-Facing Bow. It predominately improves blood pressure and mood swings that are markers of depression.
Lie down on a floor in a supine position to get in upward facing bow pose. Bend your knees a width apart, keeping your heels towards the hips. While folding your elbow, take your arm backward, such that your palm touches the ground and fingers point out at the feet.
Then, raise your hips and chest to the ground and straighten your arms as much as you can. Stay in there, inhale and exhale to get the desired benefit from this yoga pose for depression.
It is worth mentioning here that as someone suffering from depression, you should know that these essential yoga poses can help you manage the pain, mood swings and stress. These should not be taken as an alternative to visiting your physician.
Image Credits: Style Quotient, The Chopra Center, Rishikul Yogshala, Yoga Class Plan
